Seal



Nov. 11, 1930. MCGEE 1,781,029

SEAL

Filed Dec. 30, 1925 Patented Nov. 11, 1930' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EUGENE H. MCGEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO SIGNODE STEEL STRAPPING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SEAL Application filed December 30, 1925. Serial No. 78,331.

My invention relates to improvements in seals, and is particularly concerned with the provision of a metallic seal for securing together overlapping portions of metallic strapping such as is usedin the binding or fastening of boxes, bales and other packages.

The present type of seal embodies the general characteristics of the seal disclosed in Flora Patent No. 1,252,680, but improves upon the generic construction shown in this Flora patent by providing a unique overlapping relation of the flanges which embrace the under sides of the overlapping strapping.

Two prominent objects obtained by this overlapping relation of the flanges are:

(1) Increased tensile strength.This increased tensilevstrength is due to the additional layer of opposing shoulders in the crimp joint, resulting from the overlapping 2o relatlon of the flanges, and is also due to the increased resistance of the joint to unfolding at the point of crimping. Failure of the Flora type of seal, and seals similar thereto, is usuall due to the slow opening up of the crimp, t is acting to decrease the resisting efiect of the shoulders in the crimp. The additional layer of opposing shoulders afl'orded by the overlapping relation of the flanges interposes increased resistance to this unfoldso ing or opening up of the crimp.

(2) smoothness of the under surface:- One of the objections to the present type of seal, such as the Flora seal, is that the seal is apt to bulge inwardly when crimped, resulting in sharp projections, this being particularly true if themetal runs a little hard. By the present relation of overlapping flanges, these bulgingportions are forced back into position, leaving the under side of the seal 40 smooth and free from projections which would mar the surface of the material being strapped. This is anextremely important point in the case of fiber cartons, of bales of woven goods, of bundles of finished material,

of bundles of woodwork, etc., where the chaf-,

ing and scoring of the inwardly projecting flanges of the present type of seal often damage a considerable amount of goods. It is also note-worthy that the elimination of the bulging projectionsfrom the inner side of the seal allows this side to rest closely to the package, thereby bringing the strap in closer juxtaposition to the package with the consequent greater securityagainst being torn off by chance nails or other projections.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing in Figure 3 is an edge view of the connected V strap ends, showing the present form of seal in side elevation after one crimping operation has been performed thereon;

Figure 4 is a plan view taken from the bottom or inner side of the joint illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view taken from the outer or upper side of the oint, after two crimping deformations have been made in the seal;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view on a considerably larger scale, taken approximately on the plane of the line 66 of Fig. 5, and

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view, on the same scale, taken on the plane of the line 77, Fig. 5.

In binding and sealing packages in accordance with the method of sealing disclosed in the above mentioned Flora patent and contemplated in the present application, a

length of strapping 12 is passed around the;

package in the direction in which the latter is to be bound, and this strapping is then, cut ofl to leave overlapping strap ends 12 and 12 Over these overlapping strap ends is then slipped a seal 13. After the stra has been drawn up tightly around the ac age, through the use of a suitable tensioning tool, well known in the art, the joint formed by the strap ends engaging in the sleeve 13 is crimped laterally by a suitable crimping tool to provide interlocking deformations in the seal and in the strap ends. This deforming or crimping operation may be performed at back portion 13 and flanges 13 and 13, similar to the Flora seal. In the Flora seal, however, the flanges 13 and 13 merely overlap the strap edges 12 and 12 'a short distance, the inner edges of these flanges having a considerable space therebetween when the sleeve is in position over the strap ends. It is the unconfined edges of these relatively narrow flanges in the Flora seal which tend to bulge outwardly at certain points in the completed seal and form scarring and chafing projections. v

In'the present seal, one of the flanges 13 is lap d over the. other flange13 to a considerable depth, substantially in the proportions illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The inner flange 13 is preferably of a width equal to substantially one-half theoverall width of the seal, so that its edge 13 terminates substantially on the median line-of the seal. The edge 13 of the outer overlapping flange 13 preferably does not extent all the way out to the outer margin of the seal, but has a considerable amount of overlap over the edge The resultsecured bythis overlapping relation is illustrated in Figures 4, 6 and 7.

In the crimped area 14, the narrow inner flange 13' will extend up to approximately the center of the joint, so that its-edge 13 will terminate approximately in the upper central part of'the crimp. This insures that this flange will be held against outward bowing or flexure downwardly out of the crimped deformations 14 against a very high tensile stress imposed on the joint, thereby increasing the tensile'strength of the joint.

The relatively wide overlapping flange 13 willoverlap and confine this upper edge 13 of the inner flange and will extend down in overlapping relationto this inner flange almost to the bottom of the crimp. As indicated in Fig. 6, the'lower edge 13 will not, however, project below the bottom of the crimped deformation where it might scar or deface the package or article. This over.- lapping portion 13. thus assists in holding the shorter flange 13 against the action of being s rung out of the crimp under=-considerab e endwise tension; and this overlappmg flange 13 also reinforces the crimpl l by providing an additional thickness of metal forming additional locking shoulders'for resl of the under surface of the seal attained by i the surface.

a sealing sleeve embracing said strapping.

sisting to a still greater degree any tendency of the crimp deformation 14 to open up under endwise tension. I

Referring now to the greater smoothness the present overlapping relation of the flanges, it seems'to inherently follow fromthe action of the crimping jaws of the crimp ing tool that the metal in the intermediate; portion 15 of the joint, between the points of crimping 14, is bulged inwardly ordownwardly toward the package, substantially as; illustrated in Fig. 7. This is also true to some extent at the end portions 1616 of the seal, particularly where such end portions project a fair distari'c'ebeyondthe points of crimping 1t-14. This downward curvature or convexity of the seal at these intermediate and end portions will spring or bow downwardly the flange edges which are free -s5 to be sprung outwardly under the stress of this slight curvature. It will be evident that in the case of the Floraseal this curvature will present the two lower edges of the relatively short flanges at an angle to the surface 00 of the package where they can scrape and sea In the case of the present con struction, however, it is obvious that theinner flange 13 is almost entirely covered so 1 that there is no possibility of the edge 13; of this inner flange'eve'r contacting with the surface ofthepackage. Also, because of the considerable width of the outer overlapping flange 13 the edge 13 of'this flange terminates at a point where the flange has a slight .0 upward or outward curvature so that this .edge is not turned downwardly at an angle where it could scar or deface the surface of the package. i

Having thus described my invention, what .105 Iclaimis:

1. A tension resisting joint for package strapping comprising in combination the portions of the strapping to be joined, and

and com rising two flanges, in which v crimped eformations are made, one of said flanges overlapping the other and the outermost of said overlapping flanges having its edge lying well beyond the median line or the sleeve.

2. A tension resisting joint for package strapping comprising in combination the portions of the strapping to be joined, and a reinforcing sleeve comprising a back portion and overlapping flanges extending from the longitudinal edges thereof, said reinforcing sleeve and said strap ends having conjoint interlocking marginal deformations, the innermost of said flanges extending substantially to the center of said marginal deformations and the outermost flange extending'well beyond. the median lineof the sleeve to a point substantially. adjacent one longitudinal edge of the cove.

3. A tension resisting joint for package strapping comprising in combination the pertions of the strapping to be joined; and a re-enforcing member embracing said strapping comprising a back portion and flanges pro ecting from the longitudinal edges there- .of, the re-enforcing member and said strapping having interlocking tension resisting deformations formed therein, the portion of said re-enforcing member spaced longitudinally from said tension resisting deformations having a convex curvature toward the surface of the box or package, one of the flanges of said re-enforcing member extending beyond the median line of said reenforcing member whereb its edge is curved away from the box or pac age in the convex- ]lDy curved portion of said re-enforcing mem- 4. A tension resisting joint for package strapping comprising in combination the por- 

